Scotland boss Gordon Strachan: I am so sorry for trying to talk Kenny Miller out of international retirement

THE Scotland boss paid tribute to the Vancouver Whitecaps striker who leaves the international game after 69 caps and 18 goals.

Miller celebrates what was his final goal for Scotland against England (Photo: Sammy Turner/SNS Group)

Share

Get daily updates directly to your inbox

Thank you for subscribing!

Could not subscribe, try again laterInvalid Email

GORDON Strachan says he apologised to Kenny Miller for trying to talk him out of international retirement.

The Scotland boss has paid tribute to the Vancouver Whitecaps striker – who has hung up his boots after 69 caps and 18 goals.

Miller, 33, admitted his Scotland future was in doubt after netting in the 3-2 defeat by England at Wembley 10 days ago. And Strachan confirmed the retirement of the former Hibs, Rangers and Celtic star at Hampden as he named a 27-man squad for next month’s World Cup qualifiers against Belgium and Macedonia.

The manager said: “I tried to persuade Kenny against it for about a minute then thought: ‘This is really selfish’.

“I told him he’d have to excuse me. He’d done as much as he could. I was thinking about myself – he has to think about his own career. I had to say to myself: ‘Shut up Gordon’.”

Strachan yesterday offered an assessment of Kenny Miller’s talent and abilities yesterday that was as blunt as the striker’s instincts were sharp.

The Scotland boss refused to gild the lily as he announced Miller’s retirement from international football by telling tall tales and labelling him one of the best we’ve ever had.

However, he did pay a warm and sincere tribute to the Vancouver Whitecaps frontman for squeezing every last drop from an international career to which he gave his all.

The scale of the task facing Strachan in finding a replacement was underlined at Hampden when he named his 27-man squad for next month’s World Cup qualifiers against Belgium and Macedonia.

Strachan has gone with five strikers – Leigh Griffiths, Jamie Mackie, Shaun Maloney, Ross McCormack and Jordan Rhodes, who boast a combined total of 59 caps and eight goals to their credit.

Blackburn Rovers frontman Rhodes and West Brom midfielder James Morrison are now the top scorers in the squad with just three goals apiece.

Strachan revealed he tried to talk Miller into a U-turn but gave up after 60 seconds, excused himself, and admitted he was being selfish by refusing to acknowledge Miller’s desire to give his all to his MLS club as he approaches the veteran stages of his career.

Strachan said: “Kenny’s retirement is a negative and a positive. It’s a negative because we’re losing a good player.

“The positive is I spoke to someone on Thursday night who has given everything he can to his team-mates and coaching staff during his time with Scotland.

“He can leave with no regrets. He has given it everything. He’s not as talented as Kenny Dalglish, Brian McClair, Charlie Nicholas or players like them. But no one has put in as much work as him.

“He got better as he got older. When he was younger he might have thought: ‘Can I do this, can I do that?’ Then he realised: ‘I can’t do this or that, so I’ll stick to what I’m good at and make my living this way.’”

Miller’s departure leaves a huge hole, not just in terms of his goals and experience, but his ability to play the solo striker role on which the Scots came to rely so often.

He scored twice as many goals as the current strikers in the squad combined and Strachan added: “Until you put a stark fact like that to me I wasn’t too bothered but I’m worried now.

“When Coventry were relegated we lost Gary McAllister and Robbie Keane in the summer and couldn’t replace the 29 goals they’d scored that season.

“We don’t have anyone in the Scotland squad who can replace Kenny’s goals but it can be done over time, that’s for sure.”

Miller was handed his Scotland debut by Craig Brown as a late sub for Scott Booth in a 1-1 draw against Poland in April 2001.

He had to wait another two years for his second cap, a start in a Euro 2004 qualifier against Iceland when Berti Viogts was boss.

He steps down from Scotland never having featured in a major finals but Strachan said: “There are other good players who haven’t played in those tournaments. I don’t think he’ll have any regrets. It would have been more fitting for him to have played his last game against England at Wembley had we won. But, from a personal point of view, it was terrific for him.

“Kenny was a strong-minded character. I don’t want to put him up on a pedestal but he got the most he could from his ability.

Gordon Strachan (Photo: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire)

“He probably thought I would have given Jordan Rhodes or Leigh Griffiths a shout against England when he first arrived to join up with the squad. But then we started training and he was the best player out there. That’s why he was picked. He can’t stop himself from putting in a performance, even in training, where he was exemplary.”

Strachan said: “Ross has had a good start to the season and been key in big games. He was unlucky not to be in the squad to play England.”

Hull City’s Allan McGregor is suspended for Belgium’s visit on September 6, so Kilmarnock’s Craig Samson has also earned a recall as one of four keepers. But Dundee United’s Gary Mackay-Steven and Motherwell full-back Stevie Hammell drop out.

Watford full-back Ikechi Anya, who was born in Glasgow to a Nigerian father and Romanian mother, could win his first cap at the age of 25 after being called up.

Strachan said: “He has pace. His position is wing-back but he can play left or right.

“He’s tidy with the ball, does the simple things well and can go by people. I spoke to him and he’s excited. He has taken a wee while to emerge but it’s been hard work to get where he is and it shows that he has a bit of determination.”

Anya tweeted his call-up was a “privilege and an honour”.

And he later said: “I’m really happy.

“The gaffer (Gianfranco Zola) told me at breakfast one morning he’d been speaking with Gordon Strachan. I was so pleased.

“I’m under no illusion, this call-up would not have been possible without Watford FC.”

Belgium will arrive at Hampden unbeaten and top of Group A with 19 points from seven games.

The Scots travel to Skopje four days later to face Macedonia, one point behind the Scots at the bottom having played a game less.

Asked about facing the Belgians, Strachan said: “It doesn’t get any easier, does it? We’re feeling not too bad about ourselves and I’m looking forward to the next game.”